Michigan DNR continues snowplowing for UP winter fishing access in 10 counties

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is continuing a successful program begun in 2021 to keep boating access sites plowed at more than two dozen popular Upper Peninsula ice-fishing locations.

Two Ishpeming locations – Lake Angeline and Deer Lake – are among the latest to join the list of locations being plowed this winter.

Various local partners have agreed to assist the DNR with the program to ensure access to ice fishing opportunities in the U.P. are available consistently during snow conditions.

The nearly 30 locations – situated across 10 of the U.P.’s 15 counties – are DNR boating access sites managed for recreational boating. Read more

Fishing

Delta Waterfowl Expands Hen House Program to Record Levels to Produce More Ducks

The Duck Hunters Organization is adding more than 2,000 nest structures in key duck breeding areas this winter

By late spring, more Delta Waterfowl Hen Houses than ever before will be in place to provide safer nest sites for mallards.

Delta’s ever-growing team of 30 Hen House delivery specialists is expected to install 2,218 new nesting structures during the next couple months, while also performing annual maintenance on the existing fleet of 10,775 duck-producing houses. With the latest additions, Delta’s Hen House Program will have nearly 13,000 nest structures in place for the 2024 nesting season in key breeding areas for mallards, including Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

“We’re setting another Delta program record this winter by adding 2,218 new Hen Houses,” said Matt Chouinard, waterfowl programs director for Delta Waterfowl. “It’s exciting. Our Hen House program growth is expanding duck production capacity across the U.S. and Canadian prairies.”

Delta’s Hen House program began on the Canadian prairie in 1991, when the first structures were installed on Manitoba wetlands.

Hen Houses are placed strategically, focusing on areas of the breeding that attract high densities of nesting ducks but where grassland nesting cover is relatively scarce. Read more

Wildlife

Judge Grants Prelim Injunction, TRO In SAF Public Housing Gun Ban Case

A federal judge in New York has granted a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction to the Second Amendment Foundation and its partners in a challenge of a public housing authority gun ban in Cortland, N.Y. The case is known as Hunter v. Cortland Housing Authority.

U.S. District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby handed down the 29-page decision, which enjoins the defendants and their officers, agents, servants, employees and attorneys “from, taking any action to enforce, or otherwise require any person or entity to comply with the firearms ban as set forth in the ‘Tenant’s Obligations’” in the standard lease agreement pending final resolution of the case.

SAF is joined by three public housing residents, Elmer Irwin, Doug Merrin and Robert Hunter, the latter for whom them case is named.

“This is not the first time SAF has litigated a public housing case,” noted SAF Executive Director Adam Kraut, “which have all been about the same thing, a Second Amendment violation. We have won cases in Illinois and Tennessee, and by now, it would seem that public housing authorities should have gotten the message that constitutional rights do not end at the front door. We will continue pursuing such cases as they come to our attention because people do not give up their rights simply because they live in subsidized housing.” Read more

Gun Control

“WildTail: America’s Wildest Conservation Success Story” Documentary Available for Free Viewing

The National Deer Association and the Southeast Deer Partnership announce the premiere of “WildTail: America’s Wildest Conservation Success Story.” Narrated by country music star Dustin Lynch and featuring Steve Rinella from MeatEater, the documentary takes viewers on the incredible journey of white-tailed deer from near extinction back to an ecological and economic hero of America’s native landscapes.

WildTail can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/aFJUBJ1-89M?si=U3GhvJKEXM_XEIg1

“The white-tailed deer population is an incredible asset and supports economic development, outdoor recreation, and diverse ecosystems,” said Nick Pinizzotto, president and CEO of the National Deer Association. “The population recovery shown in “WildTail” is a testament to the power of conservation efforts and a call to action to protect our native wildlife for generations to come.”

The film was created in partnership with all Southeastern State Fish and Wildlife Agencies with the goal of educating hunters and non-hunters alike. Read more

Wildlife

Bighorn Sheep Capture Effort Scheduled in Salmon Region

Idaho Department of Fish and Game is working with the Idaho Wild Sheep Foundation on its third year of a research program in the Salmon Region to improve bighorn sheep populations.

In early February, Fish and Game will capture and radio-collar bighorn sheep from the Lower Panther-Main Salmon River population in addition to other areas in the region. Bighorns will be captured, sampled for disease, biological data collected, and fitted with a radio collar for tracking. For safety, the public is encouraged to avoid areas if they encounter capture work crews.

Each collar is fitted with a drop-off mechanism that will cause it to fall off the animal in three to four years. This will allow Fish and Game biologists to track individual health status and their interaction with the rest of the population. Throughout the year, lamb surveys will be conducted, and survival will be monitored. Read more

Wildlife

NSSF Filed an Amicus Brief in Support of the Challenge by Michael Cargill in Garland v. Cargill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the challenge by Michael Cargill in Garland v. Cargill. Cargill challenges that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) overstepped its authority when officials there published a Final Rule that criminalized the possession of “bump stocks” by classifying them as “machineguns.”

“No matter what their intent is, ATF does not have the authority to supersede Congress by writing their own criminal law,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President & General Counsel. “Drafting criminal law through the rule-making process has become a dangerous habit of the Executive Branch that threatens the separation of powers and threatens to relegate the rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution as secondary to the whims of bureaucratic authorities. This dangerous precedent must be challenged or we risk surrendering our rights to the administrative state.” Read more

Firearms, Gun Control

Ohio Rifle and Pistol Assn. Spearheads Petition to Allow Rifles for Deer Hunting in Ohio

In a bold move to enhance the hunting experience for enthusiasts across the state, the Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association (ORPA) is taking the lead in advocating for the allowance of rifles in deer hunting. This initiative comes as part of ORPA’s commitment to promoting responsible and safe firearm use for hunting while expanding the options available to Ohio hunters.

With the support of its members and in collaboration with other stakeholders in the hunting community, ORPA aims to bring about a positive change in the regulations governing deer hunting in Ohio. The association believes that allowing rifles will provide hunters with a more versatile tool, contributing to a safer and more effective hunting experience.

Key Points of the Initiative: Read more

Firearms, Hunting

GOA, GOF File Amicus Brief with SCOTUS in Bump Stock Case

Gun Owners of America (GOA) and the Gun Owners Foundation filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court of the United States in Garland v. Cargill, a case challenging the ATF’s ban on bump stocks.

Gun Owners of America has been active in pushing back on the Trump-era Bump Stock Ban, which was an onerous attempt by the ATF to re-classify bump stocks as machineguns under federal law. GOA met with officials in the Trump Administration to oppose the ban, has lobbied Capitol Hill to prevent codifying the ban, and even filed a separate lawsuit challenging the ATF’s policy reversal, which was previously denied by the Supreme Court in 2022. Read more

Gun Control

CMP Hosts Highpower Warm-Up Matches in Ohio and Alabama in June

Those highpower rifle competitors looking for the chance to earn true competition practice before the annual National Matches kicks off this summer should sign up for the Civilian Marksmanship Program’s (CMP) new series of Highpower Warm-Up Matches – held on the ranges of Camp Perry in Ohio and at the CMP Talladega Marksmanship Park in Alabama. The series offers a first-hand preview of CMP’s highpower (HP) events that will be presented on the National Matches schedule in July.

“We already had a weekend event in June at Camp Perry and wanted to add additional matches,” said Christina Roguski, competition program coordinator. “We also wanted to bring back a version of the HP Regional Event that used to be held in Talladega. We thought having similar events at the two locations would be great for our competitors and our staff to prepare for Nationals.”

The Highpower Warm-Up Matches will fire at Camp Perry, June 20-23, while Talladega’s Warm Up event will take place June 27-30. All Warm-Up matches will be held on CMP’s outdoor line of electronic targets.

Competitions on the schedule at both locations include: Read more

Ammunition, Firearms

Conservationist Organizations and Youngsters Join Forces

DALLAS, TEXAS – , 2024 – Outdoors Foundation, the leading provider of outdoor skill, safety and conservation curriculum to schools nationwide, has received a $100,000 grant from the International Order of T. Roosevelt to fund a partnership aimed at raising youth awareness and education about wildlife conservation.

“This dynamic partnership between two leading conservation organizations is an ideal match. Through it, we’ll work together to engage youth in outdoor education across the country. OTF’s Outdoor Adventures curriculum is used in schools in 48 states, making it a perfect partner for IOTR to achieve its goal of furthering wildlife conservation.” Read more

Fishing, Hunting, Wildlife
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